Asphalt Paving Company in Grand Prairie, TX

The history of Grand Prairie is slightly convoluted rather than linear, but there are a number of interesting historical facts. To start with, the city was first established in 1863 as Dechman by Alexander Dechman. Dechman purchased a total of almost 400 acres of land in the area for $200 in Confederate currency, a team of oxen, and a wagon that had allegedly seen better days. Difficulties prevented him from establishing a home on the land, so he temporarily left the area. Following the Civil War, Dechman settled in Bryan, but he filed a 50-acre town plat with Dallas County to establish what would eventually become Grand Prairie.

Dechman traded roughly half of the balance of the land to the railroad in 1876 to ensure that the route would pass through the town that he had named after himself, and this was also the name that the railroad used for the depot. The following year, a post office was opened, but, having been unable to correctly read the writing on the application, the name was misspelled as Deckman. To add to the confusion, railroad maps drawn during the 1850s designated the area as Grand Prairie. In an effort to resolve matters, the U.S. Postal Service simply changed the name of the post office from Deckman to Grand Prairie. Official incorporation did not take place until 1909, however. With the outbreak of World War I, Grand Prairie became heavily involved with the defense industry, particularly in the area of aviation, and this involvement continues today.